The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

Welcome back! Today's episode is about a very important topic: financial considerations before, during, and after law school. If you're thinking about taking out law school loans, or you already have, this one is for you!

In this episode we discuss:

• Why is law school debt such a huge issue for so many people?
• What is the average law student debt?
• The causes of this staggering debt load
• Pros and cons of the alternative approaches to pay off your loans
• Downsides of IBR and LRAP that might not be obvious
• How to make sure you understand what you are in for and what the payoff will be for loans before you accept them
• Whether schools are lying about your job prospects
• Types of student loans and how they work
• Scholarship options, and why you need to be clear about how likely you are to keep a scholarship after the first year (hint - it might be a lot harder than you expect!)
• Alison shares her experience negotiating financial aid with her school
• Tips to save money as a law student
• Potential side hustles for law students

Resources:

• Federal Financial Aid Options (LSAC) (http://www.lsac.org/jd/financing-law-school/financial-aid-options#federal)
• Financial Aid Overview (LSAC) (http://www.lsac.org/jd/financing-law-school/financial-aid-overview)
• Ask Heather Jarvis (http://askheatherjarvis.com)
• Law School Transparency Project (http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/)
• Law School Myth: Lawyers Make A Lot of Money (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/09/law-school-myth-1-lawyers-make-a-lot-of-money/)
• Law School Survey of Student Engagement (http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/academic_support/2016/02/lssse-upcoming-report-.html)
• Defusing the Student Loan Interest Tax (https://lawyerist.com/83690/defusing-student-loan-interest-tax-bomb/)
• Loan Payment Calculator (http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml)

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back! Today we are talking about how to find success during law school Moot Court. This can be a stressful experience for any law student, especially those with a fear of public speaking.

Using these strategies to rock Moot Court and ace your oral arguments.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is Moot Court?
• How different law schools structure Moot Court
• Why is Moot Court so challenging?
• Writing a successful Moot Court brief
• Creative ways to prepare for your oral argument
• Keeping your cool during oral arguments
• What to do if your Moot Court is pass/fail
• How to dress for success
• Other ways you can partake in oral arguments

Resources:

• How to Prepare for Oral Argument (https://lawyerist.com/40693/how-to-prepare-for-oral-argument/)
• How to Approach a Moot Court Argument (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/how-to-approach-a-law-school-moot-court-argument/)

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Time for a mid-semester reality check! Second semester is interesting in law school because you're in a different position than you were last semester. You have a set of final exams under your belt and you may feel a little more prepared than last semester. Conversely, you may also have more obligations outside of the classroom, like job hunting, extracurricular activities, and moot court -- which can lead to misconceptions about where you should be academically mid-semester.

It's time to get real. But don't stress! Here is your (helpful) mid-semester reality check.

In this episode we discuss:

• How often should you be outlining?
• The importance of practice
• Steps to writing legal analysis
• Making the most of your professors' office hours
• Handling all the extra things you may face in your second semester (job hunting, moot court, etc.)
• Time management tips for the rest of the semester
• Why self-care is so important
• Free resources in law school that are available to you and why you should use them!

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back! Today we are discussing extracurricular activities in law school. You may be tempted to focus exclusively on studying and maintaining your grades, but extracurricular activities can help break up the monotony of law school and bolster your resume for the future. Do too many, however, and you might flunk out! As with many things, balance is key for a successful law school experience. This episode explores what's available, and offers suggestion on where to most productively spend your time.

In this episode we discuss:

• The most common law school extracurricular activities which might be worth your time
• Ways to make less than stellar grades look more impressive
• Whether you should join Law Review or a different law journal
• The ins and outs of moot court
• Different types of competitions that might be of interest
• Clubs, Community Involvement, and Other School-Related and non-School-Related Activities
• Lee and Alison share their thinking about which extracurriculars they opted to do in law school

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back! Today we are going to be talking about one of the most important decisions you will make as a lawyer - which law school to go to. If you are a pre-law struggling with your decision, we've got tips on how to critically evaluate your choices to make the best decision for you.

In this episode we discuss:

• How to dig into the law school data to make an informed decision on which law school to attend
• What do law school rankings really mean?
• Being thoughtful about the opportunities you want and location you want to be in
• Why Lee and Alison chose the schools they did
• The importance of spending time on campus, meeting professors, and questioning students and recent graduates
• Managing the cost of law school and scholarship tips
• Should you attend an alternative law school (online, part-time)?
• Why maybe you should just be a barista!

Resources:

• Law School Transparency Project (http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/)

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Happy 4th birthday to the Law School Toolbox! After reflecting on what we've learned from working with hundreds of law students over the past four years, we've compiled our top 10 tips to help you be a successful and happy law student. Enjoy!

In this episode we discuss:

• Lee and Alison's favorite posts and advice from the past four years
• Why mindset matters so much in law school
• How to receive and use feedback to grow as a law student
• Why law school is a "learned" skill
• Why you should think about your law career from day one
• Why being able (and willing) to hustle is so important
• The biggest stress point for law students
• Why practice is so important
• How to prepare for the bar exam through law school, instead of at the last minute
• How, where, and when to get help in law school
• Why you might want to create your own definition of success
• Tips on how to take care of yourself in law school and why it's so important

Thanks for listening, and we're looking forward to many more great years ahead!

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Enjoy!

Alison & Lee

Today we're celebrating the 4th Birthday of the Law School Toolbox!!! What started as a chance meeting on Twitter has matured into what we like to call a "real business." What have we learned along the way? Tune in to find out!

In this episode we discuss:

• Why Alison and Lee prefer entrepreneurship to a law setting
• What was the biggest surprise about starting our own business?
• How Alison and Lee met and how the Law School Toolbox came about
• How to connect with others and build a community when starting a business
• How to keep your investment to a minimum
• How Alison slicing her finger open was (ultimately) good for the business!
• Finding tasks to delegate
• What you should and shouldn't outsource
• Benefits and challenges of being a woman-owned business
• Lessons learned over the last 4 years

Resources:

• Influence by Robert Cialdini (http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Revised-Edition/dp/006124189X)

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Thanks for listening! And for four great years!

Alison & Lee

Today, we are talking about a topic near and dear to our hearts, being a woman in the legal profession. It's 2016, are we really still having this same tired conversation about women in the workplace? Yes, yes we are.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is it really like to be a woman in the legal workforce?
• Why is it so hard to be a woman in the legal profession?
• Lee and Alison share their experience as lawyers, and from other jobs
• What is the "Martha Stewart" complex and why is it dangerous for women?
• Dealing with the lack of sponsorship for female lawyers
• How motherhood fits into your career as a lawyer
• Why are we not openly discussing the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood in the legal profession?
• Where can we go from here?

Resources

• Helping Moms Lean In, But Not Too Far - NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/fashion/helping-moms-lean-in-but-not-too-far.html)
• One Reason Why the Legal Profession is so Screwed Up (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/05/one-reason-the-legal-profession-is-so-screwed-up/)
• My Beloved World by Justice Sotomayor (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00957T7CQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1)
• Ms JD Law Review Diversity Survey (http://ms-jd.org/blog/article/ms.-jd-partners-with-nyu-law-review-to-re-launch-our-annual-law-review-dive)
• What No One Tells You Before You Go To Law School: You're Entering a Sexist Profession (http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/having-daughters-rather-than-sons-makes/)
• Mentors or Sponsors: Which Do You Need? (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/06/mentors-or-sponsors-which-do-you-need/)
• Having Daughters Rather Than Sons Makes You More Liberal (http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/having-daughters-rather-than-sons-makes/)
• BigLaw Partner Begs Associates Not to Leave Because of Their Kids (http://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/biglaw-partner-begs-associates-not-to-quit-because-of-their-kids/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Thanks for listening! And good luck out there, ladies!

Alison & Lee

Today we are joined by Kipp Mueller, Columbia Law grad and the co-founder and CEO of SketchyLaw, an online education company which teaches legal rules using visual learning. He and Lee talk about how visual learning can help law students and the science behind it.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is visual learning?
• How visual learning tools can benefit you in law school
• The science behind visual learning
• How SketchyLaw works
• What memory palaces are and how you can use them as a memorization tool
• Can everyone benefit from visual learning?
• The importance of trying different study aids and tools
• How SketchyLaw came about and the benefits for law students
• Lessons learned by Kip's law school experience and his entrepreneurial path

Resources:

• SketchyLaw (https://www.sketchylaw.com)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

One of the biggest challenges law students face is how to handle pressure. Whether it's day-to day-stress or test anxiety, pressure and stress can be overwhelming, especially in law school. Today we have the New York Times bestselling author of "Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most" and renowned pressure expert, Dr. Hank Weisinger, here to talk about handling the pressure of law school.

In this episode we discuss:

• Dr Weisinger talks about how he became an expert on pressure
• Why pressure is such an issue for law student
• Why thinking about grades can be to blame for your stress
• "Worry thoughts" and how you can ignore them
• How to stop "catastrophizing"
• What is the difference between pressure and stress?
• Strategies for handling pressure and thriving under pressure
• What happens in law school to make students lose their coping skills
• Solutions for easing the pressure
• Tips for handling test anxiety
• Dr Weisinger's book and other resources for handling pressure
• Whether students who experience a lot of stress and anxiety should just skip law school and find a different career

Resources:

• "Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most" (http://www.amazon.com/Performing-Under-Pressure-Science-Matters/dp/0804136726)
• Dr Weisinger's Website (http://www.drhendrieweisinger.com/)
• Performing Under Pressure eWorkshop Experience (http://pressure.hendrieweisingerphd.com/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee